The Heroes walked down the long hallway. Pao Lin was clutching her key card out in front of her as she looked back and forth at the numbers on the wall. "How big is this place anyway?" Her shoulders sunk as she walked faster, eyes darting to the placard by each door in turn. "There! There's our room!" She clutched Karina's arm and dragged her to the door.

Kotetsu laughed. "I don't know why they insisted on us staying in a hotel, anyway. Did they think we wouldn't show up for the 25th anniverary celebration?"

Barnaby tossed his hair back. "I think they were mostly worried about you."

"Me?!" Kotetsu stomped on the floor in the hallway and Ivan and Keith slowly moved toward their room just behind Kotetsu.

"When was the last time you got points for being the first or second on the scene?" Barnaby pushed his glasses up his nose.

Nathan sighed dramatically with one arm crossed over his face. "Handsome, wait until you're in your room to tear him a new one, as they say. We'll be in our room here." He grabbed Antonio's butt and used that to lead the large man toward the next door.

Barnaby smirked. "I guess the one on the end is ours."

Kotetsu led the way, his overnight bag rustling loudly. When they got inside the room, Barnaby let the door shut quietly behind him and slid the deadbolt with a flourish. Kotetsu was already unbuttoning his vest and shrugging it off. "It's nice being partners, isn't it, Bunny-chan?"

"My name is- Oh, forget it. Just tell me, can you keep quiet for once?"

"Eh?" Kotetsu covered his own mouth. "Sorry. I'm just loud by nature. I thought you liked it when I was loud, though?"

"And that where we wouldn't be overheard by everyone else." Barnaby hung up his jacket and, with a sigh, grabbed the items that Kotetsu had taken off and hung them up as well. "It's better if they think our being partners is only a work thing."

"So, we're not having sex?" Kotetsu was already pulling his pant leg off one ankle.

Barnaby grinned. "I never said that. We just need to find a way to keep you quiet."

In the next room, Nathan was already sprawled on one of the beds. "If I had to share a room with someone, I'm glad it was you."

Antonio sat down on the edge of the bed carefully. "Thank you?"

"Now if only there was something fabulous going on to keep us entertained until the festivities begin!"

"We..." Antonio picked up the remote from the nightstand. "We could watch TV."

"No, no, no!" Nathan shook his head and rolled over onto his stomach so he could kick his feet above him. "It must be something new and fresh and different!"

They sat in silence for a long moment until Antonio suddenly glanced at the wall between their room and Kotetsu and Barnaby's room. "Did you just hear someone yell?"

Nathan's eyes widened and he pressed his ear against the wall. Within a few seconds, he clapped a hand over his mouth.

Antonio stood up. "Should I go over there and stop them?"

"Not on your life, honey. This is the kind of excitement I was talking about."

"Kotetsu and Barnaby arguing? But that's nothing new."

Nathan gestured to the wall. "You should listen, too. I know what I'm hearing. Let's see if you do."

"Maybe on Handsome's 'something'." Nathan shook his head and listened more. "No, there's not enough of a rhythm and I swear I'm hearing the noises through fabric."

"Barnaby is trying to smother him with a pillow?" Standing, Antonio put a fist to his chest. "I can't let that happen!"

Raising an eyebrow, Nathan said, "Sit down. I meant is sounded like he had something in his mouth. Something like a pair of socks or underwear."

"Why would he have underw-" Antonio's eyes opened wide. "You don't mean..."

"They don't really argue anymore, do they? They just kind of bicker. It's somewhat romantic, don't you think? And then the two of them are given the chance to be together like this and they just couldn't resist!" Nathan pillowed one ear against his clenched fists, but kept the other pressed firmly against the wall.

"But..."

"Just listen. The bed is squeaking now. These are high quality mattresses. They don't squeak from just anything." Nathan bounced one foot silently against the bed in demonstration.

"They're having sex?" Antonio leaned against the wall again. "He... He's not about to let out a wild roar, is he?"

Nathan bit his bottom lip. "Oh, I hope he does."

All of the noises seemed to increase in speed and volume until finally there was a tremendous noise on the other side of the wall that made Nathan fan himself and made Antonio sit back down. "Should I go check on them?" Antonio shook his head.

"Give them time to recover and get dressed again," Nathan said as he buffed his nails on his shirt. "Handsome will make certain that won't take too long."

"And then I can?"

Nathan's eyes took Antonio in from head to toe and back again. "Unless you want to try to top them?"

Antonio swallowed loudly.

Kotetsu lay back, panting loudly through his nose, and tore Barnaby's boxer-briefs from his mouth, coughing. "Bunny-chan, could you get me some water?"

Barnaby stood up and came back a moment later with a glass of water that he handed to Kotetsu. "That was kind of fun," he said. "You still weren't very quiet, though. Those are some powerful lungs you have."

"Well, when a wild tiger gives a wild ro-"

"Shut up, old man." Barnaby scowled.

"You're not very cute like that, you know." Kotetsu drained the glass and set it down on the nightstand with a thunk. "You were kind of cute with your fingers in my mouth, though."